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Striker
Trying to phrase this correctly, I have wondered why County Durham never attracted any foreign workers to the pits.
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What was it like working in the Pits?
- Thread starter Cosmo
- Start date
They did. The irish.
Well working in searing heat, covered in dust, no toilets, pitch black with a significant real risk of injury, long term health problems and physically exhausting.
Nothing like Nissan.
I doubt you got many miners packed another job in to do it . Tend to be just out of school, there you go son .
Yet my fatha who worked from 14 -65 at the pit said the dustiest job he had was before he went underground,the young & infirm manned the screens where stone was picked out of the coals.He said you couldn’t breathe or see for thick dust.Cause of his death COPD.
I have ancestors from Norfolk, West Yorkshire, Cumbria, Ireland and Scotland who moved to the NE to work in the mines. Mine owners sent recruiting parties to fill jobs as the Durham coalfield expanded.
CPLforever
Winger
You know for all the oh my God and I wouldn't do it and my Da didn't want his sons to go down and nostalgia for a dirty dangerous job comments.
It's a good job someone did it. In the days of work to live and heavy industry and keeping the country going it's a good job we had people willing to do it and not loads and loads of people thinking I want to do a media studies degree. And nothing else.
Mind a Health and Safety at work degree might be useful.... even today.
It's a good job someone did it. In the days of work to live and heavy industry and keeping the country going it's a good job we had people willing to do it and not loads and loads of people thinking I want to do a media studies degree. And nothing else.
Mind a Health and Safety at work degree might be useful.... even today.
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My dad went down the pit for a few months, in the 1930's, jacked it in, said it was absolutely horrendous. He also realised a way of making more money in a day than his father could earn as a miner in a week.
Mousehold Mackem
Midfield
My Grandad was a hewer at Brandon. Died before his time because of the job.
Had an uncle who worked at Chilton.
Rest of the family managed to avoid the pits.
Had an uncle who worked at Chilton.
Rest of the family managed to avoid the pits.
vote quimby
Striker
With inflation, how much would you be getting paid nowadays for working in them?
According to Google:
In 1970, average weekly cash earnings for National Coal Board (NCB) mineworkers were approximately £23.82. Surface workers earned slightly less than the average, while underground workers earned roughly £29.05. Despite the physically demanding and dangerous nature of the job, these weekly wages were slightly less than the national average for manufacturing industries.The breakdown of weekly wages for 1970 reflects these industry-wide averages:Average All Manual Workers: £23.82 per week.Underground Workers: £29.05 per week.Surface Workers: £24.10 per week.At this time, miners were falling behind the pay rates of other industrial workers. This wage stagnation compared to the rest of the manufacturing sector led to growing industrial unrest. These underlying wage disparities ultimately sparked the major national strikes in 1972, which resulted in the Wilberforce Inquiry recommending significant pay bumps
So in 1970 it paid the equivalent of about £22k a year. Shocking that.
hank williams
Striker
Same here whenever I gan to see my marras at Easington
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Is that new, or is it just the drift mine you mean?
There is actually a working shaft you can visit at the
You must be logged on to see external links
- it actually looks like the underground side is temporarily closed, but the site is worth a visit anyway if you are ever in the area (free entry and can while away a couple of hours eeven without the underground tour) They have a few ex-miners working their who can talk all day long!
Sunderland Til I Cry
Striker
My Dad worked the Durham coal fields, started out looking after the ponies, the memories he had of that time were lovely to listen to, he loved those ponies.
After that he worked the pits until he trapped his hand between two tubs, he had to run along at the side of them but came to a point where the tunnel narrowed up ahead so it was either be crushed or pull his hand out. He chose his hand and lost a finger and part of his hand below it. He never went back after that. Never really spoke too much about it other than stories about his ponies
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He died far too young at 64 with emphysema and lung cancer, in the last days while he could still talk told me it was the coffin nails (tabs) and the dust that caused his illness.
My older Brother worked at a Mine in Donny as my Dad had relocated for work at the power stations down there. Went through the strike and on until the pit closed, went on to work for ACAS as he felt strongly about workers rights. I certainly think he preferred ACAS to the pit, although he made good lifelong mates down there.
When i left school in the early 80’s there were no jobs at the pit bar thrn for a select few, ended up on £25 a week on one of Maggies YTS schemes.
After that he worked the pits until he trapped his hand between two tubs, he had to run along at the side of them but came to a point where the tunnel narrowed up ahead so it was either be crushed or pull his hand out. He chose his hand and lost a finger and part of his hand below it. He never went back after that. Never really spoke too much about it other than stories about his ponies
.He died far too young at 64 with emphysema and lung cancer, in the last days while he could still talk told me it was the coffin nails (tabs) and the dust that caused his illness.
My older Brother worked at a Mine in Donny as my Dad had relocated for work at the power stations down there. Went through the strike and on until the pit closed, went on to work for ACAS as he felt strongly about workers rights. I certainly think he preferred ACAS to the pit, although he made good lifelong mates down there.
When i left school in the early 80’s there were no jobs at the pit bar thrn for a select few, ended up on £25 a week on one of Maggies YTS schemes.
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Interesting, class that mate. What sort of trades did people learn out of curiosity?
I visited South Shields Marine College in 1984. They still had a mining department, their were various display cases showing stuff. I think it was for the mining engineers who planned the direction of the coalface, props, face blasting and stuff like that.
Not sure what level it was? I guess OND and HND? Not sure how transferable the skills were outside of the mines?
I could be completely wrong mind, just a guess from a faint memory!
And the welsh
Iirc still needed sparkies, fitters, plumbers etc.
A lot of dads mates ended in the petrochemical game with skills picked up at pits.
